Three Queer Jews Save Child From Drowning in the Charles River! Or, What You Missed at the Last Keshet Event.

“We’re going canoeing on the river with Keshet!”
“What’s Keshet?”
“It’s the queer Jewish community I’m a part of. But, you don’t have to be gay to do stuff with them.”
“Okay, sounds fun!”
My childhood best fri...

“It’s the queer Jewish community I’m a part of. But, you don’t have to be gay to do stuff with them.”

“Okay, sounds fun!”

My childhood best friend was coming to visit Boston for the weekend, and I wanted to show him a good time. I took him to Copley, I took him to Boston Common, and I took him to Keshet.

People who consider going to Keshet events might be wondering who was there (for dating? for socializing? for gossip?), and they might also be wondering how the event turned out.

The event turned out great, and I love whoring out my friends. Without further ado:

There were about a dozen people. There was one couple in their 20s, one couple in their 30s, a gay man in his late 40s, my friend in his 20s who identifies as a straight man, two queer girls in their 20s, another girl in her 20s, a transman in his 20s, and me. There was also a mom who showed up with a friend and their two elementary school aged daughters—but they showed up after the rest of us were already in the water.

Some of us were friends already, and some people were new friends. At first I was a little worried that my friend J wouldn’t feel comfortable—he didn’t know anyone but me, and he can be a bit quiet when in unfamiliar crowds. However, Keshet was Keshet, and everything turned out great.

We split up into a couple of groups based upon the kind of boats we wanted to try. J and I were in a big canoe with Asher and one of the girls in their 20s, and three of my good friends were in a smaller canoe.

There were Gilligan’s Island jokes, there were boat races, and there was the hilarious fear that we would get crushed by some of the yachts cruising around. By the end of it, J and one of the girls in their 20s had exchanged emails and facebook info, and our friends in the other canoe had helped an eleven year old get back in his kayak after he fell out. Evidently the eleven year old’s family weren’t very experienced kayakers. A good time was had by all, and everyone (except one of the couples) decided to go get cheesy fries in Jamaica Plain afterward.

If you didn’t go to this event, well, bummer. It’s not going to happen again anytime soon. But I highly encourage boating, and I always encourage participating in community. If you have any questions about Keshet, post them and I’ll answer. The next event I’m considering going to is the Shabbat potluck on July 29th. Happy summer, everyone!

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